THERE is a first time for everything and the way in which our Merseyside boxers took the Senior ABA championships by storm this year suggests it will not be their last.

Receiving the plaudits alongside two times national featherweight champion David Mulholland at Wembley Conference Centre on Friday night were John Watson (pictured in the light blue of Higherside Police club) , Martin Murray and Tony Bellew who all added their names to the prestigious roll-of-honour of those to take the coveted title.

In domestic terms, the ABA crown is the holy grail for all aspiring amateurs, and further reward for our talented trio will come in the form of their first England call-ups for the Four-Nation tournament in Glasgow this weekend.

As St Helens Town welterweight, Murray rose to the top after two years away from the sport, and Rotunda heavyweight Bellew swept all before him in his first senior year, Watson's triumph has been over another form of adversity altogether.

Last October, Watson's Higherside Police Club was burned to the ground leaving the champion in waiting and his clubmates with nowhere to train.

As club trainer Dave Mulcahy rallied round to salvage what he could from the wreckage, the future looked bleak for the Prescot Club.

However, after temporarily using the facilities at neighbouring Huyton ABC, Mulcahy was offered a room at the Knowsley Leisure Centre where he has scraped enough funds together to get the club up and running again.

The fact that Higherside are this week celebrating their first ever Senior ABA champion is testament to Mulcahy's and, of course, Watson's dedication to the cause.

"It's been a difficult year after losing our training base but winning this title makes up for all the extra hard work," said Watson after outpointing Nigerian international and Commonwealth Games contender Fred A-Madoti in London.

"Working full-time as an electrician means I have to run in the morning and train at night, but having to travel around various gyms to use their equipment has made it much harder."

An emotional Mulcahy said: "This is great for us, magnificent. We have effectively been the club with no gym this year.

"At times it could have been easier to throw in the towel but when you've got around 40 kids waiting to train you can't turn your back on them.

"I've managed to get enough funding to buy a couple of bags and a rowing machine so we at least have something to work with.

"I'd like to thank Knowsley Leisure Centre and the council. They have helped us produce a true champion.

"John has been magnificent through all of this. He's a credit to himself and a real honour to work with."

Most at ringside in Wembley were unanimious in their assessment that Watson put on the performance of the night. And after the disappointment of losing out in last year's quarter-finals, the 20-year-old was delighted to add the senior title to the junior version he won three years ago.

"I think I was lacking experience last year," he admitted, "but I have felt much stronger throughout these championships."

"Madoti is a good experienced fighter so it is good to test myself against the likes of him.

"I saw a tape of him from the semi-finals and knew he was sharp but always thought I could beat him. I felt I was in control from the first round even though he caught me with a few good shots.

"By the time I forced him to take a standing count in the last round I knew I'd won the title. It's a great feeling."